force (one's) hand



force (one's) hand

To push one to do something that one is not inclined to do otherwise. (The phrase alludes to a hand of playing cards.) Dave still hasn't decided where he wants to go to dinner, so I'm going to force his hand—I need to make reservations as soon as possible! I was hoping to play golf today, but the storm forced my hand, so I stayed home instead. The president is trying to force Congress's hand by threatening a veto.
See also: force, hand

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Gintaras-Lithuanian
MaudMAWD (English)English, Dutch
Marcos['ma:kəus]
Aurelijus-Lithuanian
Gidie-Medieval French
Dobromil-Czech (Rare), Medieval Slavic